Chinese Premier Li Qiang met on Sunday with Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani in Beijing, calling on the two sides to take bilateral friendly cooperative relations to a new level.

Li said China and Mauritania, both developing countries, have held similar positions on many international and regional issues, supported each other and forged a profound friendship. The two heads of state held a fruitful meeting and made new plans and arrangements for further developing bilateral relations.

China is willing to work with Mauritania to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, continue the traditional friendship, seek greater synergy in development strategies and share development experience and achievements, said Li.

Noting that China greatly appreciates Mauritania's consistent unequivocal support on issues concerning China's core interests, Li said China will continue to firmly support Mauritania in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity and taking a development path in line with its own national conditions.

The two sides should take the opportunity to sign the plan to advance Belt and Road cooperation to expand pragmatic cooperation on agriculture, fishery, animal husbandry, energy and infrastructure construction to better achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, Li said.

Li called on the two sides to strengthen cultural and people-to-people exchanges on health, education, political parties and localities and build a bridge of friendship between the two countries. China will continue to provide support to Mauritania's development and revitalization within its capacity.

Noting that Mauritania-China relations are based on mutual respect, mutual benefit and win-win results, Ghazouani said the friendship between the two countries is profound and solid, adding that Mauritania thanks China for the strong support for its independence and development and fully agrees with the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative.

Mauritania firmly abides by the one-China principle and is willing to deepen cooperation with China in such fields as agriculture, mining, new energy, and infrastructure construction and will push for further development of bilateral relations, said Ghazouani.

Ghazouani, who is visiting China, attended the opening ceremony of the 31st summer edition of the FISU World University Games in Chengdu, the capital city of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

(With input from Xinhua)